A Norfolk, Virginia, police officer has reportedly been fired for donating to a defense fund for Kyle Rittenhouse and telling him he had done nothing wrong.
Lt. William Kelly was dismissed, according to a report in the Daily Beast, for financially supporting Kyle Rittenhouse, who has been accused of murder and other offenses in the deaths of two protesters last year in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
In a press release announcing the firing, City Manager Chip Filer noted that Lt. Kelly used his city email address to make an anonymous $25 donation to a crowdfunding campaign on Mr. Rittenhouse’s behalf.
“God bless. Thank you for your courage. Keep your head up. You’ve done nothing wrong,” Lt. Kelly reportedly wrote in making the donation. “Every rank and file police officer supports you. Don’t be discouraged by actions of the political class of law enforcement leadership.”
Mr. Filer called the donation and comments unacceptable.
The officer’s “egregious comments erode the trust between the Norfolk Police Department and those they are sworn to serve. The City of Norfolk has a standard of behavior for all employees, and we will hold staff accountable,” the city manager said in a press release.
Lt. Kelly can appeal his termination, the Daily Beast reported.
